BREC invites families and friends to view Mars’ closest approach to Earth on Wednesday, Jan. 27 from 8 p.m. – midnight at the Highland Road Park Observatory (HRPO), 13800 Highland Road.

At this time, Mars will lie 61.72 million miles (99.33 million km) from Earth.  Mars gets close to Earth every two years.   Mars also reaches opposition – appears opposite from the sun in the sky as seen from Earth, and shines at its brightest (magnitude 1.28), on Jan 29.

HRPO and Baton Rouge Astronomical Society (BRAS) volunteers will be available to address any questions, inconsistencies or fallacies about Mars.  Visitors will also have a chance to participate in NASA’s Send Your Name to Mars! program, where individuals’ names will be included with others on a microchip on the Mars Science Laboratory rover heading to Mars in 2011.  The latest Free Spirit news regarding Spirit, a rover that has been stuck in soft soil on Mars since May 1, 2009, will be available.

A sky tour and a raffle with prizes (proceeds will go to support programming and displays at HRPO) will also be available to all visitors.  Admission is free for all ages.

HRPO is brought to the public by BREC, LSU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and the BRAS.

For more information, please call the HRPO at (225) 768-9948.